October 11
*1900: **The American League announces that in 1901 it intends to put a team in Baltimore led by John McGraw, and one in Washington D.C. But they pledge to stay out of Philadelphia and St. Louis unless the National League starts a fight. **Rube Waddell of the Pittsburgh Pirates strikes out an NL season-high 12 in a 2–1 win over the Chicago Cubs. He will lead the league with 130 strikeouts and a 2.37 ERA. *1906 - Ed Walsh of the Chicago White Sox pitches a two-hitter over the Cubs for a 3–0 victory and a 2-1 lead in the World Series. *1911 - Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers and Wildfire Schulte of the Cubs win the newly established Chalmers Awards, which go to the league's most valuable players. Cobb batted .420 with an AL-leading 127 RBI, while Schulte led the NL with 21 home runs and 107 RBI. Using a point system—8 for a first-place vote, seven for second, and so on—the eight voting writers give Cobb the maximum 64 points. Winners receive Chalmers automobiles. *1913 - The Philadelphia Athletics win the World Series as Eddie Plank outduels New York Giants pitching great Christy Mathewson in Game Five. Plank allows only two hits in the Athletics 3–1 victory, giving Philadelphia its third World Championship in the last four seasons. *1915 - At Fenway Park, an unprecedented 42,300 are on hand for Game 3 and see another 1–1 duel, which is decided in the ninth when Duffy Lewis singles home Harry Hooper for a 2–1 hometown win. Dutch Leonard walks none, yields three hits, and sets down the last 20 Philadelphia Phillies to face him. *1943 - New York Yankees pitcher Spud Chandler shuts out the St. Louis Cardinals 2–0 as the Yankees win the World Series in five games. Chandler gives up 10 hits and strands 11 runners. Bill Dickey's two-run homer in the sixth inning is the difference. *1948 - The Cleveland Indians defeat the Boston Braves 4–3 to win the World Series in six games. Joe Gordon hits a home run in support of Bob Lemon, who earns a 4–3 victory and his second of the Series. After pitching a five-hit shutout in Game 3, rookie Gene Bearden retires the last five batters and got the save. *1964 - The St. Louis Cardinals' Ken Boyer hits a grand slam in Game Four of the World Series, capping off a 4–3 comeback win over the New York Yankees. The Cardinals had trailed, 3-0, before Boyer's blast against Al Downing. *1967: **Boston Red Sox shortstop Rico Petrocelli hits a pair of home runs, highlighting an 8–4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the sixth game of the World Series. The Red Sox win forces a seventh and deciding game, which the Cardinals will win. **The New York Mets name former Brooklyn Dodgers great Gil Hodges as their manager, succeeding Casey Stengel. Hodges had been managing the Washington Senators, who receive $100,000 as compensation from New York. *1971 - Brooks Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles sets a World Series record by reaching base five consecutive times against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Robinson's barrage helps Baltimore to an 11–3 win in Game Two. *1972 - Bob Moose's wild pitch in the ninth inning allowed George Foster to score the winning run as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4–3 and captured the NLCS in the fifth game. The Pirates had entered the ninth inning with a 3-2 lead before Johnny Bench's solo home run against Dave Giusti tied the game. *1985 - George Brett raps out four hits to lead the Kansas City Royals to a comeback win over the Toronto Blue Jays in the third game of the American League Championship Series. Brett's outburst includes two home runs, which help the Royals to a 6–5 victory. *1999 - The Boston Red Sox outslug the Cleveland Indians 12–8 to win Game 5 of their ALDS and advance to the AL championship series. Pedro Martínez strikes out eight in six hitless innings of surprise relief and Troy O'Leary twice thwarts the Indians' strategy to intentionally walk Nomar Garciaparra by hitting two homers and driving in seven runs. *2004 - The Houston Astros post a 12–3 triumph over the Atlanta Braves in the decisive fifth game of the National League Division Series. Winning a postseason series for the first time in the 43-year history of the franchise, the Astros earn a spot in the best-of-seven NL Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Births *1854 - Will White, pitcher (d. 1911) *1899 - Eddie Dyer, manager (d. 1964) *1912 - Mike Guerra, catcher (d. 1992) *1965 - Orlando (El Duque) Hernández, pitcher *1966 - Gregg Olson, All-Star pitcher *1971 - Joe Roa, pitcher *1973 - Dmitri Young, All-Star outfielder *1974 - Jesús Sánchez, pitcher *1977 - Ty Wigginton, infielder Deaths *1966 - Red Smith (b. 1890) *1991 - Clay Kirby, pitcher (b. 1948) *1993 - Lee Walls, All-Star outfielder (b. 1933)